Australia has launched legal action at the International Court of Justice to stop Japan's whaling programme, Japanese officials said, calling the move "extremely regrettable".
"We were informed that Australia has filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice regarding research whaling. We will discuss how to deal with it," said a fisheries agency official.
Hirofumi Hirano, Japan's top government spokesman, said: "I think it is extremely regrettable. The Japanese government will deal with it properly, based on our position."
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"We are studying our strategy regarding the lawsuit. Details are yet to be decided, but we won't disclose our strategy even after we make a decision," a foreign ministry official said.
